Elevator door opening apparatus



Sept. 8, 1936. H. F. MASON I ELEVATOR DOOR OPENING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 21, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 8, 1936. H. F. MASON ELEVATOR? DOOR OPENING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 21/1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 8, 1936. H. F. MASON ELEVATOR DOOR OPENING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 21, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Sept. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

My invention relates to an apparatus for opening and closing the doors of elevator hatchways and has for its principal objects, to generally improve upon and simplify the construction of the various forms of elevator door operating apparatus now in general use and to provide an apparatus of the character referred to that is rela tively simple in construction, capable of being readily installed and positive in its operation of opening and/or closing the hatchway doors when the elevator is at a landing.

Further objects of my invention are, to provide an elevator door operating apparatus that is actuated through the medium of a member, preferably a rod or tube that is arranged for vertical movement within the hatchway, which rod is moved vertically a sufficient distance to accomplish the door opening and closing operations by means of an electric motor located either at the top or bottom of the hatchway, further, to provide an elevator door operating apparatus wherein the greater portion of the operating mechanism is located in a pocket directly above the door opening in the hatchway and further, to provide an apparatus of the character described that requires no effort on the part of the operator other than the shifting of a small hand lever within the car to bring about the door opening and closing movements.

With the foregoing and other objects in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangements of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the door operating .apparatus, said view being taken from within the hatchway looking outwardly through the door opening with the elevator car shown in vertical section and with the'doors closed.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view similar to Fig. 1 and showing the hatchway doors in open position.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electric circuits utilized in my improved door opening and closing apparatus.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, I0, I!) designate uprights at the sides of an elevator hatchway and II a beam or head-er that is positioned between the uprights I!) a short distance above the hatchway opening l2 and which arrangement provides a pocket [3 directly above the door opening and which pocket is occupied by the greater portion of the mechanism that is effective in opening and closing the hatchway doors.

The numeral l4 designates a conventional car provided on one side with a front panel l5 and 5 the other side of the car is adapted to be closed by one or more sliding doors It.

In the present instance-I have shown two sliding doors, but my invention contemplates the use of a single door for closing the hatchwayope'ning. 10 T The doors l6 are provided at their upper ends with hangers ll that carry grooved wheels or pulleys or ball bearing hangers l8 and the latter are arranged to traverse rails l9 that are suitably supported in the lower portion of pocket I3. 15 1 Suitably located in the hatchway, preferably at or near the top thereof or in the elevator penthouse, is a reversing motor 20, the shaft of which occupies a vertical position and connected to said shaft is the upper end of a depending screw or eccentric connecting rod 2|. This screw' rod'is seated in the internally threaded upper portion of a sleeve 22 and connected to the lower end of the latter is a rod 23 that extends downwardly through the hatchway, preferably in the corner thereof.

This rod is arranged to slide vertically through suitable bearings 24 that are arranged on cross beams of the hatchway structure.

Mounted upon and insulated from sleeve 22, is a rack 25 that is engaged by a toothed segment 26, the latter being suitably journaled On a block or panel of insulation 21 within the hatchway.

Carried by the shaft or axis of the segment, are contact arms 28 disposed approximately 90 apart 35 and which are adapted to engage respectively the contacts of a pair of separate arcuate resistance coils 29, the latter being mounted on panel 21.

Adjustably clamped on rod 23 adjacent the upper portion of each hatchway door opening I2, is a block 30, from which projects a short pin or stud 3|. 7

Secured to beam or header l l above each hatchway door opening, is a bracket 32 and journaled in the lower portion thereof is a shaft 33.

Rigidly secured to one end of this shaft, is an arm 34 and pivotally connected to the end of this arm is 3, depending arm. 35 that is provided in its lower portion with a notch 36 which, during a certain period of the door operating apparatus, is adapted to receive the pin or stud 3'l.

Secured to shaft 33, is the upper end of an arm 34* that extends downwardly over the inner face of the elevator hatchway door and the lower end of this arm carries a pin 30 that enters a slot 34, '55

which latter is formed in the elevator hatchway door or in a panel that is secured thereto.

Under normal conditions or when the door is closed, pin 34 is positioned in the upper portion of slot 34, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Secured to one of the uprights ID at the end of the pocket I3, is a bracket 31 and fulcrumed thereon is a lever 38, the lower end of which terminates in a U-shaped hook 39 and which hook during certain periods in the operation of the apparatus, receives a pin 40 that is seated in and projects outwardly from the lower portion of arm 35.

The upper end of lever 38 is pivotally connected to one end of a horizontally disposed link 4| that is positioned in the upper portion'of pocket I3 and the opposite end of this link is pivotally connected to the upper portion of a weight 42. One of the lower corners of this weight 42 is pivoted as designated by 43 to the lower portion of the bracket 44 that depends from beam Under normal conditions or with the elevator doors closed as illustrated in Fig. 1, weight 42 is mounted so that it occupies a substantially vertil cal position and practically the entire body of said weight is disposed to one side of a vertical line passing through the axis 43.

Formed on the lower corners of weight 42, opposite the corner that is pivoted to bracket 44, is a .depending lug 45, which provides a shoulder 46 and when the elevator door is closed, as illustrated in Fig. 1, this shoulder is engaged by one end of a horizontally disposed rail 41 that is carried by a pair of the door hangers thereby mechanically locking the doors.

Journaled for rotation on the side of lug 45, is a roller 48, which when the elevator door is opened or closed rides on top of rail 41 that is carried by the elevator door (see Fig. 2).

Pivotally connected to the intermediate portion A of the side of weight 42 above the pivot 43, is one end of a horizontally disposed link 49 and the opposite end is provided with a slot 50 that receives a pin 5|, the latter being seated in the intermediate portion of an upright arm 52.

The lower end of this arm 52 is pivoted at 53 to the lower portion of a bracket 54 that is secured to and depends from header H and projecting at right angles from the lower pivoted end of arm .52, is a short arm carrying a weight 55.

Secured to and electrically insulated from the upper end of arm 52 is a block 56, in which is arranged for sliding movement a rod 51 carrying at both ends contact plates 58 and arranged on said rod between said contact plates and block 56, are expansive coil springs 58.

Plates 58 are adapted to make contact respectively with pairs of contacts 68 that are mounted on blocks 6| of insulation and the latter being suitably secured to beam or header I I.

Journaled on the intermediate portion of each arm 52, is a roller 62 that is adapted to be engaged by a shoe or pressure plate 63 and the latter being mounted on one end of a horizontally disposed arm 64.

Pivotally connected to arm 64, are the upper ends of parallel links 65, the lower ends thereof being pivotally mounted on the upper portion of the elevator car |4.

Pivotally connected to the intermediate portion of one of the links 65, is one end of a horizontally disposed rod 66, the opposite end being pivotally connected to the end of one of the arms of a bell crank 61. This bell crank is fulcrumed on the .-,upper portion of the elevator car and pivotally connected to the short arm of said bell crank is the upper end of a rod 68 that extends downwardly adjacent the panel l5.

The lower end of rod 68 is pivotally connected to a short crank arm 69 that is carried by the outer end of a shaft 18 that is journaled in panel l5 and the inner end of said shaft carrying an operating handle 1| that is located convenient to the position occupied by the car operator.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated the electrical circuit associated with my improved elevator door operating apparatus and in this circuit one side of the supply line is divided and branch conductors 12 are connected to the pairs of contacts 60 that are arranged immediately above each elevator door opening.

A pair of solenoid coils or standard contactors 13 are located at a suitable point in the hatchway and extending through these coils are the ends of a core 14.

The conductors 12 are connected respectively to the windings of the coils l3 and from said coils said conductors '55 lead respectively to the centers of the resistance coils 29.

Pivotally connected to the intermediate portion of core i4, is a pair of pivotally mounted contact arms E6 and a conductor ll connects one of these arms 76 with the contact arms 28 that engage the resistance coils 29.

Arranged on opposite sides of each contact arm 76 are the members of a pair of contacts 18 and the two contact members 78 that are arranged between the arms 76 are connected to the reversing motor 26 by conductors 19.

The two contact members '58 on the outside of contact arms 16 are electrically connected to motor 23 by conductors 86.

The conductor l2 which, together with conductors i2, constitute the electrical supply line, is connected to contact member l6 opposite the member that is connected by conductor 1'! to the contact arms 28.

The operation of my improved door operating apparatus is as follows:

Under normal conditions, or when the elevator door is closed, while the elevator is moving vertically within the hatchway the various parts of the apparatus occupy the positions as illustrated in Fig, 1 and the operating parts of the electrical circuit occupy the positions as illustrated in Fig. 4.

As the car stops at a floor, the operator positioned adjacent panel |5, swings handle TI toward the right hand and through the connections 69, 68, 67, 66, 65 and 64, plate 63 will be moved toward the left hand to press against roller 62 and thereby swing arm 52, thus breaking the circuit previously existing through one pair of the contacts 60 and closing the circuit through the other pair of contacts.

Following this action, the right hand one of the solenoid coils 13 will be energized to draw core 14 toward the right hand, thus swinging contact arms so that they leave the contacts 78 with which they have been engaged and said arms move into contact with the opposite contact members.

This action establishes flow of current through motor 20 to drive same in the proper direction so as to cause screw 2| connected to the motor shaft to elevate sleeve 22 carrying rack 25. However, just prior to this action and simultaneous with the tilting or swinging movement imparted to arm 52 by pressure plate 62, pin 5| located in the outer end of slot 50 in link 49 moves said link lengthwise, thereby swinging said weight .42 on its axis 43 so as to disengage shoulder 46 from the end of bar 41, thus positioning roller 48 above 23 is elevated by the engagement of screw 21 with sleeve 22 and the engagement of pin or stud 3i in notch 35 moves arm 35 upward.

The arms 34 and 34 constitute a bell-crank fulcrumed at 33 and as this bell-crank is swung on its fulcrum, the pin 34 carried by the end of arm 34 and which pin occupies the slot or groove 35% in the door moves said door into open position immediately in front of panel IE or to the position illustrated in Fig. 2.

During the opening movement of the door weight 42 is supported in its shifted position by the engagement of roller 48, which rides along the upper edge of bar 41, the latter being carried by the door.

After the passengers have left or entered the elevator car the operator swings handle H toward the left hand to its normal position and through the connections 69, 68, 61, 65, 65 and 64, pressure plate 63 is retracted from roller 62 and weight 55 acts to swing arm 52 back to its normal position as illustrated in Fig. 1. Such action breaks the circuit previously established to operate the motor so as to elevate rod 23 and through the connections of the electric circuit, current flows to the motor 20 so as to cause the same to reverse its direction of rotation.

As the motor is thus reversed, the engagement of screw 2| with sleeve 22 moves said sleeve and rod. 23 downward and the stud 3| occupying notch 35 causes arm 35 to move down, thereby return-' ing the bell-crank comprising the arms 34 and 3:3 to its original position, with the result that the door or doors are closed.

During this closing movement bar 41 rides beneath roller 48 and at the end of the door closing movement weight 42 by gravity swings back to its normal position so that shoulder 46 is engaged against the end of bar 41 and link 41 will be moved to swing arm 38 on its axis and the hook 39 on the lower end of said arm engaging pin 40 on the lower end of arm 35 swings said arm slightly away from rod 23 so as to disengage stud 3| from notch 36. 7

Thus with its door or doors closed, the elevator car is now free to move upward or downward until another stop is made.

As contact arms 28 are shifted from one position to another during the door opening and closing movements and which arms are moved by the engagement of the toothed segment 26 with rack 25 on sleeve 22, the free ends of said arms successively engage the contacts associated with the resistance coils 29 and. by connecting conductors 15 to the centers of said resistance coils, the cur rent flow through said coils and to the motor will be such as to cause the door opening or closing movements to start slowly gradually increasing in speed as the ends of the arms 28 approach the centers of the resistance coils and then to decrease in speed as the doors come to a full closed or .open position.

This result is especially desirable in that it overcomes the slamming of the doors at the ends of their opening and closing movements.

It will be noted by reference to Figs. 2 and 3 that the angularity of the arms 28 with respect to each other is such that when the end of either one of said arms is at the inner end of the resistance coil with which it is associated, the free end of the other arm is out of contact with the outer end of theother coil and as a result of this arrangement, the circuit to the reversing motor is broken at the end of each door opening and closing operation.

Thus at the end of the door opening operation the circuit to the motor that causes the same to rotate so as to open the door is broken and likewise when the door is closed the circuit that causes the motor to operate to close the door is likewise broken.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an elevator door operating apparatus that is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture and very efiective in performing thev functions for which it is intended.

The construction of my improved elevator door operating mechanism is such that the only door or doors in front of which the elevator is standing or approaching may open and all of the other elevator doors are locked.

If desired suitable conventional means capable of being operated from the interior of the elevator car may be provided for releasing the door holding means to permit said door to open in the event of mechanical failure of the door opening means to function properly.

A considerable portion of the door operating apparatus is conveniently installed in a pocket immediately above the door opening into the elevator hatchway and only a small part of the apparatus, namely, the manually operable pressure plate actuating means, is carried by the elevator car.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved elevator door operating apparatus may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with an elevator arranged for operation in a hatchway, said hatchway having door openings and doors for closing said openings, of a member extending vertically through the hatchway, a reversing motor, driving connections between said motor and said member whereby the latter is moved vertically as the motor is operated, means adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from said vertically moving member for imparting opening and closing movement to' each door as said member is moved vertically, an electric circuit in which the motor is located, a duplex switch positioned in the hatchway above each door opening therein, which switch controls the motor circuit operable means carried by the elevator car for actuating said switch in one direction and means for automatically actuating said switch in the opposite direction.

2. The combination with an elevator arranged for operation in a hatchway, said hatchway having door openings and doors for closing said openings, of a member extending vertically through the hatchway, a reversing motor, driving connections between said motor and said member whereby the latter is moved vertically as the motor is operated, means adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from said vertically moving member for imparting opening and closing movement to each door as said member is moved vertically, an electric circuit in which the motor is located, a duplex switch positioned in the hatchway above each door opening therein, which switch controls the motor circuit, operable means carried by the elevator car for actuating said switch in one direction, means for automatically actuating said switch in the opposite direction and means connected to and actuated by said switch when the same is actuated by the means carried by the car for connecting said door opening and closing means to said vertically movable member.

3. The combination with an elevator arranged for operation in a hatchway, said hatchway having door openings and doors for closing said openings, of a member extending vertically through the hatchway, a reversing motor, driving connections between said motor and said member whereby the latter is moved vertically as the motor is operated, means adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from said vertically moving member for imparting opening and closing movement to each door as said member is moved vertically, an electric circuit in which the motor is located, a switch in said circuit, operable means carried by the elevator car for actuating said switch, means connected to and actuated by said switch for connecting said door opening and closing means to said vertically movable member and a weight associated with said switch actuated means for moving said switch in one direction and for disconnecting the door opening and closing means from said vertically movable member.

4. The combination with an elevator arranged for operation in a hatchway, said hatchway hav- 'ing door openings and doors for closing said openings, of a member extending vertically through the hatchway, a reversing motor, driving connections between said motor and said member whereby the latter is moved vertically as the motor is operated, means adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from said vertically moving member for imparting opening and closing movement to each door as said member is moved vertically, an electric circuit in which the 'motor is located, a switch in said circuit, operable means carried by the elevator car for actuating said switch and means including resistance coils and contact arms associated therewith, which contact arms are actuated from the vertically movable member for controlling the current supply to said reversing motor.

5. The combination with an elevator arranged for operation in a hatchway, said hatchway having door openings and doors for closing said openings, of a member extending vertically through said hatchway, a reversing motor, driving connections between said motor and said vertically disposed member, whereby the latter is moved vertically as the motor is operated, means arranged in the hatchway and adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from said vertically moving member for imparting opening and closing movements to each door as said member is moved vertically, a circuit in which said motor is located, means including duplex switches located in the elevator hatchway, one above each of the door openings therein for controlling the flow of current through said circuit to the motor and manually operable means carried by the elevator car for actuating said current controlling means.

6. The combination with an elevator arranged for operation in a hatchway, said hatchway having door openings and doors for closing said openings, of a member extending vertically through said hatchway, a reversing motor, driving connections between said motor and said vertically disposed member, whereby the latter is moved vertically as the motor is operated, a member mounted in the hatchway and adapted to be engaged by said vertically disposed member to move vertically therewith, a bell crank connected to said last mentioned member for imparting opening and closing movements to the elevator door and means for moving said member into and out of engagement with the vertically movable member.

'7. The combination with an elevator arranged for operation in a hatchway, said hatchway having door openings and doors for closing said openings, of a member extending vertically through said hatchway, a reversing motor, driving connections between said motor and said vertically disposed member, whereby the latter is moved vertically as the motor is operated, a member mounted in the hatchway and adapted to be engaged by said vertically disposed member to move vertically therewith, a bell crank connected to said last mentioned member for imparting opening and closing movements to the elevator door, means for moving said member into and out of engagement with the vertically movable member, an electric circuit in which said motor is located, a plurality of duplex switches located in said circuit one above each hatchway door opening, means for automatically moving said switch in one direction and manually operable means carried by the elevator car for moving said switch in the other direction.

8. The combination with an elevator arranged for operation in a hatchway, said hatchway having door openings and doors for closing said openings, of a member extending vertically through said hatchway, a reversing motor, driving connections between said motor and said vertically disposed member, whereby the latter is moved vertically as the motor is operated, a bell crank fulcrumed in the hatchway, a hook depending from one arm of said bell crank, which hook is adapted to be engaged with said vertically disposed member to move vertically therewith, which hook when engaged with said vertically disposed member, together with said bell crank imparts opening and closing movements to the elevator door as said vertically disposed member is moved upwardly and downwardly, means for moving said hook into and out of engagement with the vertically movable member, an electric circuit in which said motor is located, a switch in said circuit, manually operable means carried by the elevator car for moving said switch in one direction and means associated with said switch for moving the same in the other direction.

9. The combination with an elevator arranged for operation in a hatchway, said hatchway having door openings and doors for closing said openings, of a member extending vertically through the hatchway, a reversing motor, driving connections between said motor and said member whereby the latter is moved vertically as the motor is operated, means adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from said vertically moving member for imparting opening and closing movement to each door as said member is moved vertically, an electric circuit in which the motor is located, a switch in said circuit, manually operable means carried by the elevator car for moving said switch in one direction and means actuated by saidswitch when moved by said manually operable means for efiecting an engagement of the door opening and closing means with said vertically movable member.

10. The combination with an elevator arranged for operation in a hatchway, said hatchway having door openings and doors for closing said openings, of a member extending vertically through the hatchway, a reversing motor, driving connections between said motor and said member whereby the latter is moved vertically as the motor is operated, means adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from said vertically moving member for imparting opening and closing movement to each door as said member is moved vertically, an electric circuit in which the motor is located, a switch in said circuit, manually operable means carried by the elevator car for moving said switch in one direction, means actuated by said switch when moved by said manually operable means for efiecting an engagement of the door opening and closing means with said vertically movable member and means for moving said switch in the other direction.

11. The combination with an elevator arranged for operation in a hatchway, said hatchway having door openings and doors for closing said openings, of a member extending vertically through the hatchway, a reversing motor, driving connections between said motor and said member whereby the latter is moved vertically as the motor is operated, means adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from said vertically moving member for imparting opening and closing movement to each door as said member is moved vertically, an electric circuit in which the motor is located, a switch in said circuit, manually operable means carried by the elevator car for actuating said switch and means located in said electric circuit and actuated by said vertically moving member for controlling the speed of said motor.

HOWARD F. MASON. 

